House

Parent Place or Precinct

26335 Hamersley Road Group Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Hamersley Road Group heritage area is of: Aesthetic Value • As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and Inter War residences. • For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1890s and the 1940s. • For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles. Historic Value • As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century. • For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees. • For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1890s to the 1920s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in the gold boom period and shortly thereafter. Representativeness • As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services. Physical Form in the Public Realm • The houses, which (with the exception of two modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1898 to 1921, (and one in 1946) have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, with a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and terracotta tile residence of traditional asymmetric planform. The house originally presented with brick to the lower section of the elevations and roughcast render to the upper section. The tuckpointed brickwork has been painted over in the same colour as the render removing a key feature of the style. Typical of the Californian bungalow style, the house presents with a staggered pair of gables to the street facing elevation. The gable to the projecting winged element is roughcast with a vent whereas the main gable is clad with fibre cement sheeting and battens. The roof is clad with terracotta tiles with terracotta finials. The original chimney appers to have been removed as part of the rear addition works. A separate skillion canopy forms the verandah canopy, supported on timber posts on top of masonry balustrade and piers. The deck of the verandah cannot be seen. The windows to the bay consist of a three-section timber framed casement with integral multi-paned highlight. The entrance is located in the recessed section of elevation consisting of timber door with glazed panel to the top section of the door, flanked by small high level windows. The property has a low stone, pier and palisade panel boundary treatment.

History

The parcel of land of approximately four acres designated as Perth Suburban Lot 232 was purchase by NSW gentleman Issac Singlehurst Ponder in 1885. The plan for the subdivision of this portion of Hamersley Road was formally approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1898. Eight lots on the north side of Hamersley Road west of Federal Street were purchased by local real estate agent Alfred Henry Kearns Axon in June 1898. This lot was transferred to William Charles Trowse in 1912. In 1924, it was transferred to William Henry Ennis, a builder of Subiaco and in the following year to Subiaco builder, Harold Norman Oglesby. These transactions demonstrate how many local builders participated in small speculative projects in their area. It is known that Oglesby had built one other residence in this street (HN240) and possibly others. From the available records it is proposed that this residence was constructed in 1925 as it is first evident in the Post Office Directories in 1926. The property was transferred to bank official Norman Wilfred Broun in April 1925 and he and his wife Lillian Henrietta Broun lived there until 1927. The previous year they had been living at 205 Hamersley Road. The property was transferred to printer and bookbinder, Thomas Forrester Christie in 1927 and he lived there until death in 1929. (Interestingly, Thomas Christie had lived at 242 Hamersley Road in 1926.) The property was transferred to Mary Squire Stuart in 1929 and she retained ownership until 1935 when it was transferred to Flora Lyndsay Langford. On her death in 1946 the property remained with the Langford family. The PO Directories entries confirm these changes of ownership. • 1926-1927 Norman Broun • 1928 -1929 T F Christie • 1930 Mrs Stewart • 1931 – 1946 Mrs Langford • 1947 – 1949 George Langford An aerial photograph of the property in 1964 shows the form and extent of the place. The skillion roof addition to the rear was originally clad in corrugated iron and this was replaced with tile when the residence was extended in 2004. This extension included a second storey addition and a major new structure in the back yard.

Integrity/Authenticity

The original design intent of the place remains visible but the alteration in treatment to the façade has impacted on the level of authenticity.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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